Self-sealing rotatable vacuum cap



June 11, 1929. c. HAMMER SELF SEALING ROTATABLE VACUUM CAP Flled July27, 1925 Fggi Patented June 11, 1929. l

UNITED srarss Artur OFFICE.

CHARLES HAMMER, onnontrsoounr BOULEVARD, nnw roan, assronon 'ro' AIVLERLcan METAL car conranY, on nnoonrlvn, new roan, oonronarron or new YDRK.

SELF-SEALING- BIOTATABLE VACUUM CAP,

Application filed July 2?, 925. Serial No. 4am.

This invention relates to caps or closures, the object of the inventionbeing to provide an improved sclfsealing and locking rotatable vacuumcap particularly adapted for use for the hermetic sealing of containers,such as glass containers, and so constructed that the gasket may bequickly released from the container without mutilation or injury thereof when it is desired to unseal the same.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improvedrotatable cap, which when used with a suitable scaling member is soconstructed that it permits the use of an instrument to release thesealing member from the mouth edge of the corn tainer without thedestruction or mutilation of such sealing member and without thedistortion, stretching or cracking of the metal of the cap skirt.

Another object of the invention is tl ie provision of an improved rotarycap having container holding means adapted to carry a flat ring gasket,whereby the cap may be effectively used for the vacuum sealing of acontainer and which cap is so constructed as to properly ccnter andposition the gasket without the special placing or handling thereof. i

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Fig. 1 is a perspective view of this improved cap with its flat ringgasket in position; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a partof thecap with the gasket in dotted position; Fig. 3 illustrates the cappartly in section positioned on a container; and Fig. elillustrates thegasket partly broken away.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral views.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and mode ofoperation thereof, I desire to have it understood that the invention isnot limited to the details of construction and arrangement of partswhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the inventionis capable of other embodiments, and that the phraseology which I employis for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

This improved cap in the preferred form thereof shown comprises a top 2having a depending flange or skirt 8 having suitable corrugations 4. Thelower edge of the cap is strengthened, by curling, beading or rollingit'to form a curled edge 5 provided in the form shown with a series ofinwardly extending lugs or projections 6 formed from such curled edge,although other nieansfor holding the cap on to the container may be usedin place of the lugs shown.

The top of the cap is depressed as at 7 to form an inwardly extendingpanel 8 having an upwardly and outwardly inclined or flaring side wall9, forming an annular relatively wide recess 10. Located in this annularrecess is a flat ring gasket 12 of rubber or suitable composition, thedepth of the recess substantially corresponding with the thicknessof'the ring, so that the ring properly fits within the recess and iscentered therein by the inclined wall of the panel and is protected bythe skirt. That is to the inclination of the panel wall properlypositions thering and maintains it in its proper sealing, position. Thelogs of the cap prevent the dropping out of the ring in any ordinaryhandling of the cap. Thus in the manipulation of the cap, when it isturned upside down the ring not only falls back into its recess, but theinclined walls of the panel shift and. center the ring into its propersealing position, so that it is mere ly necessary to drop the ring intothe cap, and without any special placement or handling thereof the ringwill be shiftedand centered into its proper sealing place, thus forminga self-sealing cap adapted for use as a vacuum cap.

.Furthermore, the inclined wall 9 forms a space to accommodate the inneredge of the gasket during a slight spreading thereof when underpressure.

In the vacuum sealing of containers great difficulty is experienced, notonly in the proper positioning of the gasket when a ring gasket is used,since it tends to shift: out of place especially during the rotation ofthe cap and so interferes with: the proper hermetic sealing of thecontents, but great difficulty in" the release of the gasket is alsoexperienced, such release being frequently obtained only by themutilation or partial destruction of the cap, ing memben I To insureproper and quick release of the gasket or sealing member, and therebypermit the quick release of the cap, I have provided the cap with meanswhich will facili gasket or other sealtate the releasing thereof fromthecontainer. This means consists of one or more openings or slots 13located in the skirt of the cap.

In the present instance tour of such slots are shown and these slots aresubstantially in line with the under or lower wall lower sealing faceoi? the ring gasket, whereby upon the insertion of a pointed instrumentor knife blade into any one of the slots-oi the cap skirt the vacuum isbroken and the release of the gasket readily obtained wit out mutilationof the gash Vhile these i may be located at various points around theskirt, they are shown located in line with the holding lugs whereby theTacunm may be broken at the points where the cap has its greatestholding etfieiency on the container. It will be observed that theopening is located at the top of the corrugations, and when a pluralityof such openings are used, they are preferably located. in alinementwith the lugs. By reason of this construction, the major part of theskirt is below the opening, in consequence of which the skirt, togetherwith the vertial corrugations, prevents the distortion of the skirtmetal and the consequent spreading apart of the opening when the cap isrotated onto the container. By reason also of the fact that the lockinglugs are formed in a strengthening or reinforcing head or curled edge,this head also materially assists the skirt and corrugations inpreventing the distortion of the metal around the opening and theconsequent spreading of the opening which would be very disadvantageousin the use of the cap, since such distortion or spreading of the openingwould crack or break the metal between the ends of the opening and thetop of the cap when the cap is drawn down onto the container by reasonof the engagement of the lugs with the inclined threads of thecontainer, thus materially interfering with the vacuum sealing of thecontainer and also break the metal at the ends of the opening at theunder-side thereof unless the cap is so constructed as to prevent this.

it is to be understood that by describing in detail herein anyparticular form, structure or arrangement, it 'is not intended to limitthe in ention beyond the terms of the claim or the reqinre nents of herior art.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described away of constructing and using the same, although with out attempting toset forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the modesof its use, I claim:

A re-usable, self-locking, rotatable, screwtype cap provided with adepending skirt having a reinforcing curled or beaded lower edgeprovided with preformed containersecuring means comprising locking lugsijorn'i-ed from the curled lower edge, and a vacuuni-sealing membercarried by the cap near its top and protected by the skirt, said skirthaving an opening therein near its top for the insertion of aninstrument to break the seal, with the major part of the of the skirtbelow the opening and provided below said opening with. reinforcingvertical corrugations, the major partof the metal bciow the opening, thecurled lower edge and the vertical corrugations being so relatedrelatively to the opening as to prevent distortion or stretching apartot said opening and the cracking or braking of the metal 01 the shirt atthe ends of and under said opening, whereby the cap may be rotated anddrawn down under consider: able strain onto the container withoutcausing said opening to weaken the skirt oi the cap or interfere withthe vacuum-sealing thereof. 1

Signed at 1822 Park Row Building, New York city, New York, this 23rd dayof July, 1925.

CHARLES niiinnnnj

